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Difference between revisions of "Secretarybird" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:Secretarybird.jpg|thumb|500px|right|Photo by {{user|Glazzers|Glazzers}}<br />Addo Elephant park, [[South Africa]], August 2003]]
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;Sagittarius serpentarius
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;[[:Category:Sagittarius|Sagittarius]] serpentarius
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[[Image:Secretarybird.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Glazzers]]
 
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==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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It has a body length of 4 - 5 feet and a 7-foot wingspan. Multiple feathered crest.  The lower legs of Secretarybirds have heavy scales that may protect them while walking through the brush or when attacking their prey.
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125–150 cm (4 - 5 feet long); 7-foot wingspan<br />
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*Multiple feathered crest
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*Heavily scaled lower legs  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]: widespread from [[Senegal]] and southern [[Mauritania]] east to [[Ethiopia]] and western [[Somalia]] and south to the [[Cape]].  
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[[Image:STH 6134.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|volker+sthamer|volker sthamer}}<br />Ngorongoro, [[Tanzania]], September 2017]]
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Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]: widespread from [[Senegal]] and southern [[Mauritania]] east to [[Ethiopia]] and western [[Somalia]] and south to [[South Africa]]. Populations crashing in some parts of its range.
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Absent from the forested areas of Central Africa. Commonest in southern Africa. Resident and nomadic.
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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The only species in the family [[:Category:Sagittariidae|Sagittariidae]].
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
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==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Open grassland and semi-desert, acacia woodland.
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Open grassland and semi-desert, ''Acacia'' woodland.
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==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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The diet includes large insects and small amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. They are most famous as snake-eaters, including poisonous cobras and adders, but also eat gamebirds, plovers, chicks, mongooses, and rabbits. All but the largest prey are swallowed whole.  They walk along the ground, usually in pairs, searching for prey which is killed with a quick kick of its foot.
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[[Image:Secretarybird 2011 11 26.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|Alan+Manson|Alan Manson}}<br />Near Wasbank, [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[South Africa]], November 2011]]
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====Diet====
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Their diet consists mostly of arthropods, especially grasshoppers and beetles. They also eat small amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
  
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It builds a platform nest of sticks on the top of a low tree. 2 eggs are laid and incubated for 42 - 46 days. The young fledge from 9 - 15 weeks of age.
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They are very skilled at catching snakes, including poisonous cobras and adders. All but the largest prey are swallowed whole.  They walk, generally in pairs, searching for prey which they kill with a quick kick of the foot
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====Breeding====
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They build a platform nest of sticks on the top of a low tree. The 2 eggs are incubated for 42 - 46 days. The young fledge between 9 and 15 weeks of age.
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#AvianWeb
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#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2017)
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{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Sagittarius+serpentarius}}
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{{GSearch|"Sagittarius serpentarius" {{!}} "Secretarybird" }}
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{{GS-checked}}1
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<br />
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<br />
  
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[[Category:Birds]]
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Sagittarius]]

Latest revision as of 10:46, 7 May 2023

Photo by Glazzers
Addo Elephant park, South Africa, August 2003
Sagittarius serpentarius

Identification

125–150 cm (4 - 5 feet long); 7-foot wingspan

  • Multiple feathered crest
  • Heavily scaled lower legs

Distribution

Photo by volker sthamer
Ngorongoro, Tanzania, September 2017

Sub-Saharan Africa: widespread from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Ethiopia and western Somalia and south to South Africa. Populations crashing in some parts of its range.

Absent from the forested areas of Central Africa. Commonest in southern Africa. Resident and nomadic.

Taxonomy

The only species in the family Sagittariidae.

This is a monotypic species[1].

Habitat

Open grassland and semi-desert, Acacia woodland.

Behaviour

Photo by Alan Manson
Near Wasbank, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, November 2011

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of arthropods, especially grasshoppers and beetles. They also eat small amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

They are very skilled at catching snakes, including poisonous cobras and adders. All but the largest prey are swallowed whole. They walk, generally in pairs, searching for prey which they kill with a quick kick of the foot

Breeding

They build a platform nest of sticks on the top of a low tree. The 2 eggs are incubated for 42 - 46 days. The young fledge between 9 and 15 weeks of age.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. AvianWeb
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2017)

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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